{"id":2525829,"date":"2025-12-28T15:10:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T20:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dot-realizes-road-safety-a-concern-with-marijuana-rescheduling\/"},"modified":"2025-12-28T15:13:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T20:13:58","slug":"dot-realizes-road-safety-a-concern-with-marijuana-rescheduling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dot-realizes-road-safety-a-concern-with-marijuana-rescheduling\/","title":{"rendered":"DOT realizes road safety a concern with marijuana rescheduling"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdot-realizes-road-safety-a-concern-with-marijuana-rescheduling%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2525829&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The DOT and transportation industry are raising concerns after President Trump signed an executive order to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance. Under current rules, the Department of Transportation follows the HHS drug-testing panel, wich onyl covers Schedule I and II drugs, so reclassification could complicate or eliminate federal testing for safety-sensitive workers such as truck and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/anti-lockdown-billboard-in-calif-stirs-controversy-as-state-moves-closer-to-reopening-schools\/\" title=\"Anti-lockdown billboard in Calif. stirs controversy as state moves closer to reopening schools\">school bus drivers<\/a>, train engineers, and pilots. Brenna Lyles of the American Trucking Associations said it&#8217;s unclear whether authority to test would disappear and warned that losing HHS&#8217;s technical and laboratory guidance would create a disruptive patchwork of protocols. Delta\u20119 THC remains the most commonly detected drug among DOT-regulated workers, with cannabinoids accounting for over 60% of positives in the agency&#8217;s clearinghouse. The DOT says it will monitor the rescheduling process and update the industry; ATA urges legislative or regulatory clarity-a safety-sensitive carve-out-so testing requirements are preserved, which may require rulemaking or new legislation.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">DOT realizes road safety a concern with marijuana rescheduling<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2455896\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; With the impending rescheduling of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marijuana\/\">marijuana<\/a> in the U.S., the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/transportation\/\">transportation<\/a> industry is searching for answers on whether it still will legally be able to test employees before sending them on the road or in the air.<\/p>\n<p>Truck and school bus drivers, train engineers and pilots are all considered &ldquo;safety-sensitive&rdquo; transportation employees, and therefore subject to drug testing under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4363201\/filings-delayed-convicted-ex-illinois-house-speakers-appeal\/\">Filings delayed in convicted ex-Illinois House speaker&rsquo;s appeal<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4363200\/illegal-entries-arizona-plummet-60-fewer-gotaways-than-biden-years\/\">Illegal entries into Arizona plummet, 60% fewer gotaways than in Biden years<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4363199\/more-floridians-californians-moving-to-texas-than-reverse\/\">More Floridians, Californians moving to Texas than reverse<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>But the DOT, which follows the U.S. Health and Human Services drug testing panel, only permits commercial transportation employers to test for Schedule I and II drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I drug but President Donald Trump this month signed an executive order to reclassify it as a Schedule III controlled substance, despite many Republican lawmakers urging him not to.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency describes Schedule I narcotics as those &ldquo;with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.&rdquo; The DEA describers Schedule III substances as those &ldquo;with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The concern, Brenna Lyles from the American Trucking Associations told The Center Square, is that&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/national\/article_8a024dac-1462-4cb6-b734-09f53fc58426.html\">once marijuana is reclassified as a Schedule III drug<\/a>, HHS will reflect the change and employers might no longer be able to test their drivers for cannabis use.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not totally clear whether moving something from a Schedule I&nbsp;to a III eliminates that authority altogether, but generally it&rsquo;s agreed upon based on the drug testing laws written in the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act [of 1991],&rdquo; Lyles, ATA&rsquo;s senior director of safety policy, told The Center Square.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;HHS&rsquo;s authority to issue tests and laboratories for these drugs lies in that regulatory regime naming Schedule I and Schedule II drugs specifically. So once a drug moves to that lower schedule, it becomes less clear what they can and can&rsquo;t do.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Lyles added that ATA is encouraged by DOT&rsquo;s commitment to safety, referencing its recent news release that stated the agency &ldquo;will continue to monitor the rescheduling process and update the transportation industry as appropriate.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Delta-9, the form of THC present in marijuana, continues to be the most frequently detected drug among transportation industry workers subject to federal rules. Cannabinoids currently make up over 60% of all positives in the DOT&rsquo;s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse database.<\/p>\n<p>Because DOT specifically names marijuana in its own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-cori-bush-rushes-to-defense-of-very-violent-criminals-rioting-attacking-guard-in-jail\/\" title=\"Democrat Cori Bush Rushes To Defense Of \u2018Very Violent\u2019 Criminals Rioting, Attacking Guard In Jail\">testing protocols<\/a>, it is possible the current administration may interpret that to mean that the agency still has the authority to test. Yet even then, the DOT would no longer be able to rely on HHS&rsquo; testing regime, as it has done for decades, which would create a patchwork of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/seals-other-navy-special-warfare-troops-to-be-randomly-tested-for-performance-enhancing-drugs\/\" title=\"SEALs and other Navy special warfare troops to undergo random performance-enhancing drug ...s.\">drug testing protocols<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;At the end of the day, the piece that&rsquo;s really critical is the basic technical and scientific certifications, labs, and guidance that HHS is uniquely qualified and positioned to continue issuing,&rdquo; Lyles noted. &ldquo;I think it would be disruptive if you&rsquo;re relying on HHS for this whole panel of drug testing like cocaine and amphetamines, and then you have to return and complete a whole other testing protocol with DOT.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Lyles added that while the current DOT seems attentive to road safety &ndash; it recently&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/national\/article_c4b5a73e-dc99-424f-8ac4-ae17d58d4fac.html\">pulled 9,500 commercial truckers off the road<\/a>&nbsp;for failing English language proficiency checks &ndash; that could change under a future administration. She would &ldquo;absolutely&rdquo; support making current transportation industry testing protocols for marijuana permanent.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/editorials\/4362312\/dangerous-supreme-court-decision-national-guard\/\">A DANGEROUS SUPREME COURT DECISION<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think any type of clarity, whether that&rsquo;s legislative or regulatory, to codify the testing requirements provides a lot of certainty for the future &ndash; some kind of safety-sensitive carve-out that specifically states that regardless of the schedule of marijuana, we will preserve this,&rdquo; Lyles said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There are potentially some regulatory hurdles, just based on how that <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >omnibus drug testing law<\/a> was written, so I think there&rsquo;s going to be things that need to happen,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;That may end up being a rulemaking, and it may end up being a legislative act.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DOT: Marijuana rescheduling threatens driver testing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2869,"featured_media":2525830,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP23104801107201.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[15193,69607,33627],"class_list":["post-2525829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-dot","tag-marijuana-rescheduling","tag-road-safety"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP23104801107201.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2525829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2525829"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2525829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2525833,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2525829\/revisions\/2525833"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2525830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2525829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2525829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2525829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}